Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Texas A&M University-Commerce – Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Texas A&M University-Commerce (TAMUC) seeks an experienced academic leader with a deep commitment to student success to serve as its next provost and vice president for academic affairs (VPAA).

Texas A&M University-Commerce is a proud member of The Texas A&M University System. Located approximately 65 miles northeast of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the university attracts traditional resident students from the region and surrounding communities of Northeast Texas. In addition to the main campus in Hunt County, the university has off-campus instructional sites in Dallas, Mesquite, McKinney, Frisco, Corsicana and Bryan. Texas A&M University-Commerce offers 130 affordable undergraduate and graduate degree programs and serves 11,624 students in the following Colleges: Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; Business; Education and Human Service; Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts; Innovation and Design; and Science and Engineering. The university transforms lives through its mission to “Educate. Discover. Achieve.” At TAMUC, students receive one-on-one mentorship from renowned faculty and staff while gaining exceptional learning that prepares them for a globally-minded, interconnected world.

The incoming provost and VPAA will have an integral role in the ongoing development of the campus as a senior member of the president's leadership team. The provost and VPAA should be a collaborative and entrepreneurial leader with a demonstrated commitment to faculty excellence and student success. Reporting directly to the president, the provost and VPAA is the chief academic officer for the university, supporting its academic mission and providing creative, entrepreneurial and supportive leadership to faculty, staff, deans and other academic and administrative colleagues across campus. The provost and VPAA provides leadership to all deans and academic administrators for the purpose of assessing, planning and budgeting the academic enterprise of the campus.

The provost and VPAA will be an institutional advocate and effective communicator with both internal and external constituencies. Chief among responsibilities will be working effectively with the president and academic affairs unit to execute strategic plans and transformational initiatives that will further strengthen the university and the community. The provost and VPAA will embrace the faculty’s commitment to teaching excellence, research and service to the institution and community and will understand and articulate the connections among them. The provost and VPAA should be committed to student success initiatives and develop and strengthen student recruitment, engagement, retention and graduation rates. The provost and VPAA should value and demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion among all members of the campus community. The provost and VPAA will be expected to lead by example and ensure transparent communication, embrace and champion shared governance and support the pursuit of knowledge through free expression, critical thinking and open discourse and debate. Furthermore, the incoming provost and VPAA should support faculty and leadership development across the academic enterprise. Candidates should have an earned doctorate or equivalent and an academic record sufficient to be granted the rank of professor and tenure in one of the university's academic departments. The candidate should have a demonstrated record of progressive administrative and academic leadership responsibilities, preferably as the head of an academic unit or division. More information can be found at www.wittkieffer.com.

All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a letter of interest addressing the themes in the leadership profile and a CV or resume. WittKieffer is assisting Texas A&M University-Commerce in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by February 16, 2022.

Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal. Nominations and inquiries can be directed to Zachary A. Smith, Ph.D., Jeff Compher and Cathryn Davis at TAMUCommerceProvost@wittkieffer.com.

Texas A&M University-Commerce is committed to and promotes equal opportunity for all. This commitment includes equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and program accessibility. It is also committed to make its workplaces, campuses, and programs accessible to all, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation or gender identity. Furthermore, we encourage and foster a workplace community where individuals are valued for their diverse backgrounds.